Opinion - should I get a powertrain warranty?

So I can get a powertrain only warranty that covers engine, transmission, axles and driveshaft for about $2500 - and the dealer will honor this warranty company. Is it worth it? Or should I spring an extra $500 and buy the warranty that also covers airconditioner and a few other bits/pieces.

What are you driving? MY,coupe, 6 spd?....I decided to go without any coverage on my 99' coupe and so far have been fine after 3 years of ownership. If you are concerned with high repair bills, why not get total coverage for the extra $500?

Pay the extra $500 and enjoy the peace of mind.

Closely read the fine print. Many of these things have some sort of way to keep from paying out.

Meh. Once the engine and trannys are covered on any M96 platform I wouldn't worry about anything else.

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That was what the dealer said too.

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This is why I am buying the warranty from the Porsche dealer, and checking with the service manager to make sure he's comfortable with the warranty company

Is it the Easy-Care warranty? .

I have Easy-Care, obtained when I paid for the car when it was new. Extended me to 100,000 miles and 10 years. Included a tire and wheel warranty.

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The heck with the service manager. You need to research the company and make sure its not one that comes up every once in a while, loads up with a lot of customers, then goes bankrupt and leave them high and dry. Essentially you are buying insurance and you want a company that will be there with the money when (if) the time comes. Also, read the fine print very carefully to be sure what is covered. Do not rely upon what some slick sales person tells you, some slick/shiny sales folder tells you. Get an actual copy of the policy details and read it through thoroughly. I have talked with some Porsche techs and they hate dealing with 3rd party warranty companies. The "adjuster" shows up and asks about a zillion questions and tries to find some reason to deny the claim. Your best friend in these instances is the tech. Speak with some of the more experienced ones beforehand and ask what you can do to help solidify your position and make his job easier (or his counterpart's job at another dealer) should something go wrong and you have to file a claim. Lastly how many miles on the car and how many miles do you plan on driving teh car while the coverage in effect? If not many miles you lose. Warranty companies know that problems appear from miles driven, not time passed, and that's why most of the time these policies are quite profitable to the company offering them. Anytime a warranty like this expires from elapsed time and not miles covered is a "win" for the warranty company and a "loss" for you. Sincerely, Macster.

Thanks guys. it's Fidelity Warranty Services. The service manager told me they're good to work with. Car has 50K miles (02 C4). The powertrain warranty would provide additional 48Kmiles / 4 yrs.

The fact that this warranty is so reasonably priced tells you a lot about the real actuarial repair experience with these cars. Ask yourself how rarely they'd have to replace an engine to make a profit at this rate. There's a happy thought!

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Well, only you can decide what's best for you. I'll note I have driven my 02 Boxster bought new in 2002 for over 225K miles, the last 175,000 miles sans no warranty and nothing major has happened. I've worn out more floor mats than clutches. Replaced more brake light switches than engines. But I was prepared should worst happen to pay for out of my pocket for a new engine sourced from the factory and installed by a dealership. Had the money set aside. Still have it set aside. Have so far never used it. Well, I used some of it. Dipped into my cash stash to buy a new 08 Cayman S then replaced that car -- totaled in a car wreck (not my fault!) -- with a "new" 03 Turbo. My cash stash is not as large as it once was. But I still have the Boxster. And I still have enough money to replace the engine should it require replacing. The Turbo came with 2 year, 100K CPO warranty which has until June 2011 to run and car only has 18.5K miles on it, of which I have put on around 8K since I bought it June of this year. After CPO warranty expires if I decide to keep the car I'll have set aside money to fund a new engine should the car require it. Sincerely, Macster.

I've recently been looking at aftermarket warranties and let me give you one bit of advice. Check for Limit of Liability I was talking with a company that was offering Powertrain coverage for $2500, but they capped any single engine repair at $3000. You can tell that's just not quite enough to cover a $15000 engine replacement. So just make sure you know exactly what you're getting, because it sounded like a great deal to me before I asked more questions.

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EXCELLENT advice. I just checked limits of liability and it is : 1. For any one repair visit - all benefits paid or payable shall NOT EXCEED the actual cash value of your vehicle at present market value (KBB).

Looks good, but give a real thorough search through the entire contract and see if there are any stipulations. When I was talking with an agent about this he saw that and thought it was final, but looked around some more in the contract and found that the payout was limited to the ACV of the vehicle OR certain set values (in my case it was $2000 for transmission, $3000 for engine, and $7500 per visit). Everything I've seen says that these contracts are designed with loopholes in mind, so be thorough. And if you find it's all legit I'd love for you to PM me their contact information as I'm still looking too.

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I spoke to another SA at the dealer. He confirmed my worst fears. These after market warranties don't cover things like RMS. RMS repair is $1,500. He says they find all sorts of loopholes to not pay :-(

if the warrenty gives you a HUGE list of things covered - RUN !! if it gives you a list of items NOT covered - YIPPY ! as most companies dont even know what an IMS shaft is

I don't have an aftermarket warranty, so I can't speak to the quality of the warranty or the company, but here's a piece of general advice: NEGOTIATE - the margins on things like aftermarket warranties tend to be very large, you should negotiate the price like any other line item on a purchase order. And for that type of incremental cost get full coverage and make sure it's exclusionary coverage as others have mentioned. Our cars are only now approaching the age when A/Cs and other major accessories start going.

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That's not necessarily true. I have Warranty Direct and they paid to replace all kinds of leaks and seals e.g. RMS, IMS, valve cover bolts, coolant expansion tank. Around $4-5,000 in total repairs. They are insurance companies so the SA has to know how to describe the problem with the right "magic words" so the adjuster can authorize the repair. If he makes it sound like a wear and tear item - denied. If it sounds like something failed - approved. It's like getting HMO approval for a test or procedure. Sometimes SA's don't like dealing with aftermarket warranty companies (especially those not sold by their dealer) because they have to get a diagnosis and then call the adjuster and answer questions to get approval etc. - more work for them. Also, if it's a big repair they will send an adjuster to examine the car to make sure the car has not been modded or used for a non-covered purpose e.g. track, off road. BTW you mentioned Fidelity Warranty. I have Fidelity on my wife's MINI and my 996 coupe. 3 different Porsche dealers in my area sell and accept Fidelity as does my local BMW/MINI dealer. It's backed by a company called JM&A. IIRC I checked before I purchased and AM Best rated the insurance company financial stability "Excellent". I have not had to use the warranty yet, but based on my research I would say they are not some fly by night Mickey Mouse operation. When I bought my warranty I specifically asked the SA to confirm it covered everything from leaking seals to engine replacement.

Some Warranties cover only breakdown repairs, some do wear & tear as well. And you can bet the ones that only do breakdown will love to count everything off as "wear and tear". Still, I have a feeling many of us are looking for breakdown warranties that cover internal engine parts + timing chain.

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On a large repair such as an engine or trans replacement, I would get the service advisor, shop foreman, and service manager together and make it clear to all of them that the only way the work can proceed is if the claim is accepted. It's likely that at least one of them is on a bonus program linked to billable shop hours and will take landing a $15K job seriously. Even the plain-jane powertrain warranties cover all the lubricated parts in the drivetrain. Engine/transmission/differential bearings, gears, chains, etc. are all covered. These are never considered "wear and tear" items. Those would be belts, hoses, brake pads/rotors and so forth. Typically though the cost of a warranty that covers more than just the powertrain isn't that much more money. Starters, alternators, A/C compressor, fuel injection, the ECU, all these can lead to some major money in repairs. "Exclusionary" warranties (which cover everything unless specifically excluded on a list) are the best, but many companies only offer them to dovetail with the expiration of the original factory warranty. They're harder to find and more expensive on a car where the OEM warranty has expired. "Named Component" warranties cover everything on a list, and nothing that isn't on that list. Some are more comprehensive than others, so you really need to read them carefully, and never assume anything is covered unless you see it specifically mentioned. Even those warranties are well worth it if you intend keeping the car for a long time, or put on a lot of miles, at least from my experience with German cars of several brands. Lastly, the terms of warranties through the same underwriter vary from state to state depending on their insurance regulations. California and Florida are the toughest (or at least, the most beaurocratically encumbered).